Thuja occidentalis 'Yellow Ribbon'

A distinctive narrow up right selection with yellow foliage.

Size 15-30 cm a year.

Found in Holland in 1983.

 

Common in local outlets but with poor winter color, readily turning quite bronze (brown) during cold weather - just when the yellowishness should be of greatest value.

 

Hi Ron,

Thanks for your comments concerning Thuja o. 'Yellow Ribbon'. I don't know where you are coming from with the issue of the conifer turning bronze (brown) in the winter. That is simply not the case. Winter color is quite striking. The wife and I always enjoy its presence in our garden in the winter because of the yellow color.

This conifer is never for sale at common outlets in the Kansas City area and rarely offered.

Dave

 

Contrasting winter and summer appearance easily seen at top of this page.

http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=occidentalis+yellow+ribbon&gbv=1

I have often seen it darker than shown.

Any outlet buying from Monrovia might stock it.

 

Micro climate issues and where it was propagated have a big part in how this or any conifer presents itself in a given situation.
Mine has good winter color. Nothing like the photos you posted. Because of that it retains a prominent place in my garden.

I never see Monrovia plants for sale at local outlets in my area.

 

Makes me wonder about its identification.

Where a plant is propagated has absolutely nothing to do with its genetic makeup and behavioral characteristics determined by that.

 

Size, color and everything else considered are determined by the host plant the cuttings were taken from. The propagator plays an important part in selecting cuttings to be grown.

The conifer that I posted did not come from a big box local store around the corner but through a small time grower that has been in business a long time. His expertise and knowledge having anything to do with conifers is second to none. I pay a little more for for my plants because I know I am buying the best. Over the years I have learned that buying good stock as opposed to big box stock pays big dividends.

I will post a photo in January to show the great color retention this conifer has through the winter.

 

A clonal cultivar will not turn bronze in one region and maintain summer color in another because of where the stock plant was located.

 

There is some variance, even amongst clones, called cultivariance. But I agree with Ron that should not affect winter color. More likely to affect habit, often laterally growing shoots, when propagated will grow laterally, shoots with more juvenille foliage may produce a plant with more juvenille foliage etc.

If it doens't bronze very much - probably just in a good spot. Or maybe this plant was propagated from an improved sport? My rheingold turns copper, almost dead looking, but I think it's interesting. And it doesn't last long here so I don't consider it a big drawback.

 

Who said it turned bronze where it was located. You are just assuming that.

I can't speak for others, only what's growing in my yard. Let's move on Ron and quit taking up space on the Gallery. Nobody wants to hear this BS. I am finished replying to your nonsense. I will post a photo in Janaury.

 

I stand by my recommendation, based on years of observing multiple specimens in multiple locations. This past spring saw a batch of one gallon 'Yellow Ribbon' and one gallon 'Europe Gold' near one another at a local wholesale nursery, the first variety was easily distinguished by the discoloration. Same behavior appears to occur elsewhere, based on internet photos.

I do not plant this cultivar due to this consistently demonstrated drawback. T. occidentalis cultivars vary in amount of winter browning, it is not necessary to settle for one that does it markedly.

 

The only drawback I know of to this cultivar is that it needs to be kept as a single-leader "plant" due to snow damage, otherwise.

Dax

 

I'm a landscaper in Europe, based on my experiences I can firmly state that the Thuja occidentalis 'Yellow Ribbon' does not discolor during winter- and winters are quite harsh here... The Europe Gold's brightness does fade though.

 

The opposite of what is seen here, on stock so-labeled*. Plants sold as 'Yellow Ribbon' are now very common here, so in addition to all the photos on the internet there is plenty of live material to observe locally. 'Europe Gold' seems to be less hardy, small plants in containers at least prone to winter injury if left out instead of being put in a plastic tunnel or cold greenhouse. Small plants seen here also less dense. So, although not going bronze it appears it has other limitations that make it unlikely to become more prevalent in outlets than 'Yellow Ribbon'. To become a standard item these days a plant has to look good in a pot, from a small size - unless it is something like a shade tree, that is sold in large sizes, or is something bought for floral impact, and can have a picture of the flower attached (as with roses, for instance).

*Stock sold in PNW and Romania under same name(s) could perfectly well be different plants, mis-labeling and mis-application of names not unusual

 

Hi Ron B :)! I can only agree with your post and you are of course right about some plants being sometimes mislabeled and that can happen anywhere... As for me, I'm not only a horticultural engineer but I also grow and propagate a host of plant species and varieties (I have a nursery of my own) so I can't allow myself to misidentify a plant as common as the Thu. occ. 'Yellow Ribbon'. Thanks for your reply; it's nice to talk with people who have the same interest:). Tc

 

A photographer who specialized in plant and garden portraits for some years once told me he had read an article claiming 33% of nursery stock here (North America/USA) was being sold under the wrong names. I didn't catch which periodical this article was supposed to be in or read it myself.